Tiger Beer Focuses on the Cage

ByHoma Zaryouni ·

22 May 2014

Heineken-owned Tiger Beer is in the midst of a push to embrace its Singapore heritage. New bottles will now display the tiger logo with the number 8, a lucky number in most of Asia. The brand also ran an “un-caged” campaign, with the title referring to the Tiger’s cage. It starred pseudo-celebrities with unconventional professionals such as stuntman Charlie Ruedpokanon and calligraphy tattoo artist Joey Pang. (Tattoos are taboo in China, leading Pang to face attacks on her chosen profession.)

Our Digital IQ Index: Beer – released last month – found a tradition of brands tapping their roots to create campaigns that stood out among the rest. For example, Sapporo posted a “Japanese Translator Game” on its website to create a fun diversion and emphasize its foreign heritage. U.S. brands Samuel Adams, New Belgium, and Sierra Nevada communicate their local heritage with brewery tours in in the cities they originated in: Boston, Colorado, and North Carolina.

Tiger’s brand director told AdAge the emphasis on brand heritage will be as asset as the brand expands internationally. Looking at the growing appetite for craft brewers and smaller brands with small but smart campaigns, there’s something to be said for that.